How this artist went from drawing football stadiums at home to opening a shop in Leeds
Elland Road is his bestseller 🎨
Artist Yusef Arjo drew the Corn Exchange while teaching an art club four years ago.
He never imagined that he’d one day open his own shop in the historic building.
But after years of selling his hand-drawn prints of city landmarks and sport stadiums online and at pop-up markets, Art by Arjo opened its doors in the Corn Exchange at the start of September.
“This is the perfect place for it,” Yusef told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“It’s filled with independents, a variety of creativity and culture in one of the most iconic buildings in Leeds.”
Art by Arjo is a business which began on the 41-year-old’s coffee table almost a decade ago when Yusef decided to share his art on social media.
When one follower requested a landscape of Elland Road, it quickly started a chain reaction of football fans requesting pictures of their team’s stadium.
Before he knew it, Yusef was on a quest to draw the stadium of every team in the Premier League, then the Championship.
As a former architect and lifelong football fan, it was the perfect specialism.
Yusef said: “Architecture is one of my main loves and that’s why I draw all these landmarks - I love going to different cities and visiting places.
“I’ve been a Doncaster Rovers fan since I was seven, eight years old. My best friend’s dad was the club doctor and ever since then, I’ve been a massive lover of them and football in general.”
Hand-drawn prints of football stadiums including Elland Road, the Emirates Stadium, and Stamford Bridge, have continuously proven popular, alongside other sports venues such as the Emerald Headingley.
Prints of other landmarks and locations are also hand-drawn, with sizes ranging from A5 to A1.
To suit every budget, there’s also a vending machine outside Art by Arjo selling mini prints of Leeds landmarks for just £1.
Yusef said: “It’s definitely putting a smile on people’s faces and they’re loving the game side of not knowing what one they’re going to get.”
As ‘your memories on paper’ is the Art by Arjo tagline, Yusef also offers personal commissions, and requests have ranged from sketches of wedding venues to shop fronts to family homes.
While generative AI has made personalised art easier than ever to access, Yusef believes artists still have a unique selling point that technology can’t replicate.
“I always really push that I do everything by hand,” Yusef said.
“For me its all about building an experience, a story around how much time, effort, and passion goes into the piece. AI can’t do that.”